Hopes and Fears for Supernatural Season 9

Only a few weeks into the latest Supernatural "hell-atus" and I'm already overwhelmed with anxiety. What will human Castiel be like? Will Sam (Jared Padalecki) be OK? How annoying are those friggin' angels going to be? On one hand, I'm excited for the unknown possibilities, but I'm also worried about how the changes will affect Team Free Will. Here are the biggest Season 9 hopes and fears keeping me up at night:

Crowley maintains partial humanity With the third trial incomplete, Crowley's (Mark Sheppard) very being hangs in the balance. Is he human? Demon? A hybrid? I'm hoping the latter, thus allowing Crowley to retain his ruthless cunning, while having to barter with a human conscience. Talk about an identity crisis! Any sliver of humanity in Crowley would also make a potential allegiance easier for the Winchesters to accept, and who isn't dying to see that?

Abbadon as the Queen of Hell There's no doubt Abbadon will return with a vengeance, though the exact role she'll play in Season 9 remains unknown. But if a mere crossroads demon can work his way up to King of Hell, it's likely a Knight of Hell can follow suit. I only hope they find another vessel as fantastic as Alaina Huffman was (RIP).

The return of Sam and Dean's bromance The brothers had one hell of a heart-to-heart in the finale, so the possibility of a full reconciliation seems imminent. Now that they've shared their grievances and guilt, I hope Sam and Dean (Jensen Ackles) can put the past behind them and give Wincest fans something to talk about.

Bobby and Benny return Jeremy Carver has hinted Bobby (Jim Beaver) might be returning next season. Whether that means he'll rejoin the fight on Earth or Sam and Dean will see him in Heaven — who knows and who cares? As long as we get more Bobby, I'm satisfied! And while we're at it, let's get Benny (Ty Olssen) back at least for a few episodes. I'd love to see Castiel's (jealous?) reaction to his only rival for the title of Dean's BFF.

A musical episode We already know the boys love to sing and dance, so why not show it off? Supernatural has done its fair share of quirky stand-alone episodes, so it wouldn't come off as jumping the shark. And I doubt anyone would object to a Destiel tango and a Crowley soft shoe.

Sam and Dean find happiness Both the brothers have been through enough recently. Let's see them get a little joy in their lives! Maybe Sam finds a love interest that actually lasts and Dean rediscovers some pleasure in hunting. While he can never return to the carefree ladies' man of the early seasons, it'd be great to see him get a little of that levity back.

Cameos, cameos, cameos! All the major changes in Heaven and Hell create a perfect opportunity to revisit a few of our late favorites. Ellen, Jo and Ash could provide assistance from the abandoned heavens, while it's past time Adam gets rescued from the cage. I don't know how Gabriel would fit in, but I think we're all missing The Trickster. And for once, let's give Sam and Dean a break and put the responsibility of saving the world on someone else's shoulders. Say, Chuck for example? Or should I call him God? Now that everything he's created has devolved, Chuck/God should stop hiding and help out a little!

Fears for Season 9

Ben Edlund's departure Edlund was behind some of Supernatural's most memorable episodes ("Ghostfacers," "Monster Movie," "The French Mistake"), but if the show can survive the loss of creator Eric Kripke, it can get through this. That doesn't mean I'm not concerned, but it is a comfort. Plus, with the return of writers Nicole Snyder and Eric Charmelo (the duo behind "My Heart Will Go On," "Mannequin 3: The Reckoning" and "You Can't Handle the Truth") there should be more than enough great writers to pick up the slack.

Human Castiel While I'm excited for human Cas (Misha Collins), I can't help but worry. The show hasn't always known what to do with the Winchester's most powerful ally. Though, now that he's lost his grace this will hopefully change. But will his wardrobe, too? Without his magical abilities, that trench coat is going to get mighty dirty — and fast. I can't imagine Cas wearing anything else, but if he must switch it up I'd totally be down for him raiding the Men of Letters bunker for some snazzy '40s and '50s suits. As to what Castiel will be doing, I only hope that for once his good intentions pay off and he succeeds in doing the right thing, whatever that may be.

Angels on Earth Castiel aside, angels have never been my favorite, which is why their exile to Earth doesn't bode well for me. Will they seek revenge, assimilate, finally get organized after years of bedlam without God? I don't know! And all this theorizing is stressing me out. One thing's for sure: If we don't hear someone use the line, "Did it hurt when you fell from Heaven?" the writer's should hang their heads in shame.

Megalomaniac Metatron I don't like him. Never did and never will. Unfortunately, it looks like he's in the running for Big Bad of Season 9, which means we might be dealing with Metatron for quite some time. However, it is possible he'll be more of an unseen foe who rarely pops in until the big, finale battle. One can dream, can't they?

Sam's health He abandoned the trials, but that doesn't necessarily mean everything's honky dory health-wise. I pray to Chuck that Sam's ailments are taken care of in three episodes or less, because it hurts me to see Moose so ill. We all know he's going to live anyways, so heal him up (and cut his hair while you're at it!)